Fished a C&R artificial only stream today, I landed my biggest rainbow to date @ 20.5" and almost 4lbs. Absolutely a gorgeous trout, probably one of the prettiest fish I have ever landed. The pictures are good but the coloration of this fish in person was amazing. I doubt it was a wild fish but I assume it had been in the creek for quite some time and was in good condition.

Pretty Rainbow ~ Congrats

 

PB's are always a Blast

 

A-Jay

Beautiful bow. Congrats on the PB

Jeff

Nice trout... What was your bait? Really nice fish!

Real cool. Congrats!

Niceeeeee!

GORGEOUS fish there. Stellar colours to boot!

Excellent catch!

Good looking fish! Our stockers don't get that kind of color in them, but they're coming out of lakes instead of a stream so that probably effects it.

Beautiful fish. I caught my pb rainbow a couple years back. 9 plds 3 oz on a kastmaster spoon. Even was put in Washington Oregon Game and Fish magazine for it. But she was ugly and a hatchery fish in a lake. Tasted like mud, what a shame. Not to brag or anything. Lol

Good looking fish! Our stockers don't get that kind of color in them, but they're coming out of lakes instead of a stream so that probably effects it.

In lakes around here they usually get white/silver bellies and green or even blue backs if they have been in there for a couple weeks, is that what your fish look like?

If that was  a stocker to start with then it's been there long enough that I wouldn't consider it a stocker.  Your fish looks great, nice fins and color, even looks as though it's got some shoulders on it.  Congrats, nice looking trout either way.

In lakes around here they usually get white/silver bellies and green or even blue backs if they have been in there for a couple weeks, is that what your fish look like?

Yeah, that's pretty much all the ones here look like, very pale compared to wild fish.

Nice fish.

 

My buddy caught a large rainbow the other day that was no doubt a stocker and it had good coloration too.  they dump older spent bucks in all the time when stocking so catching a bigger older fish isn't that rare.  He is pretty though for sure.

Nice fish.

 

My buddy caught a large rainbow the other day that was no doubt a stocker and it had good coloration too.  they dump older spent bucks in all the time when stocking so catching a bigger older fish isn't that rare.  He is pretty though for sure.

I'm pretty sure this wasn't a brood stock fish fresh off the truck, I was fishing a section listed as "Trophy Trout Water" (not anywhere near central VA). It's only a matter of time before I stumble upon a 5lb stubby-finned-football brood stock fish in one of the creeks around here though. I don't understand why some creeks in other areas of the state get so many brood fish, you would think the DGIF would distribute them more evenly.

Big, beefy, beautiful fish!!!!

The lake the pictures I posted is only 400 acres and they stock a minimum of 400 fish over 4 pounds a few times every spring. KS has really figured out how to make money on trout permits by stocking big trout (no natural occurring trout in KS), including a good number of fish over 10 pounds up to the new state record that was over 15 pounds caught last year. 

The lake the pictures I posted is only 400 acres and they stock a minimum of 400 fish over 4 pounds a few times every spring. KS has really figured out how to make money on trout permits by stocking big trout (no natural occurring trout in KS), including a good number of fish over 10 pounds up to the new state record that was over 15 pounds caught last year. 

WOW! Do you catch them while bass fishing or do you target trout? Do they fight pretty good or just squirm and thrash? 

That's an awesome VA trout!!!

 

We have those little stinkers here too.  They get a little a bigger. Handle on the rod is 21" (keeper size), for reference.

 

 

Only problem, they turn into fish popsicles up here:

That's an awesome VA trout!!!

 

We have those little stinkers here too.  They get a little a bigger. Handle on the rod is 21" (keeper size), for reference.

 

 

Only problem, they turn into fish popsicles up here:

Nice fish! One heck of a kype on that buck.

 

It was below freezing all day on friday when I fished, my guides turned into popsicles and chafed my 6lb fluoro so bad that I had to re-spool for the next day! I like drifting mini spawn bags (that I make with eggs from stocked trout) under little balsa floats and pretending that I'm steelhead fishing   ...

WOW! Do you catch them while bass fishing or do you target trout? Do they fight pretty good or just squirm and thrash? 

Mainly fishing for trout but I do catch quite a few when the water starts to warm up on jerkbaits and wiggle warts. Most of them I catch are caught on small spoons or home made micro jigs under a bobber.

Trout love the warts.

They slam a jerkbait on occasion too.

Wow that's a nice one! My PB rainbow was 3.5 lbs on a daredevil spoon ...

 Do they fight pretty good or just squirm and thrash? 

They fight very hard on light tackle. They jump a lot, swim extremely fast, change directions quickly, pull a lot of drag (or make me backreel a lot since that's what I do) and just generally really make you work to get one in the net. 

 

WOW! Do you catch them while bass fishing or do you target trout? Do they fight pretty good or just squirm and thrash?

 

Here's one I caught, probably around seven or eight pounds.  The video starts after about a ten minute fight.  Caught on a spoon, using my MH cranking tackle for bass.

 

Nice Rainbow!!  Congrats